Now Playing Onstage in Detroit - Week of 7/13/2014

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (STONE)Oakland Christian School 7/18-7/19/2014
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN scored a bulls eye when it returned to Broadway in 1999, starring Bernadette Peters and sporting a revised libretto by Tony, Oscar and Emmy winner Peter Stone. As Newsday reported, Stone's revisions 'are sweetly ingenious, and the show is a dream.' Stone reshaped the 1946 book to create a Wild West show-within-a-show that frames the ageless 'Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better' love story of sharpshooters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler. Stone has added a secondary romance between the younger sister of Frank's bothersome assistant Dolly, and a boy who is (to Dolly's horror) part Native American. 'The book has been updated in ways that pass p.c. muster,' reported Time Magazine, 'without losing all the fun.' Joined to the new book, of course, is that amazing Irving Berlin score, featuring hit after hit after hit. 'Irving Berlin's greatest achievement in the theater,' wrote the New York Post, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN 'will always be a musical for the ages, one of the Broadway theater's enduring triumphs.'Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin; Original Book by Herbert Fields & Dorothy Fields; As Revised by Peter StoneClick Here for More InformationA FUNNY THING...FORUMFLAT RIVER COMMUNITY PLAYERS 7/11-7/19/2014
Broadway's greatest farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville.A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM is a non-stop laugh-fest in which Pseudolus, a crafty slave, struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan named Philia, for his young master, Hero, in exchange for freedom. The plot twists and turns with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors, and a showgirl or two.This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrific ensemble of comedic actors to shine--"something for everyone, a comedy tonight!"
Click Here for More InformationDISNEY'S PETER PAN JRCENTRAL PARK PLAYERS 7/17-7/19/2014

Click Here for More InformationSHREKCENTER STAGE THEATRE 7/11-7/19/2014
SHREK THE MUSICAL, based on the Oscar® winningDreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story ofeveryone's favorite ogre to dazzling new life on the stage. Ina faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemlyogre "" not a handsome prince "" shows up to rescue a feisty princess.Throw in a donkey who won't shut up, a bad guy with a SHORT temper, acookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, andyou've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily,there's one on hand...and his name is Shrek. Full of all-new songs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, SHREK THE MUSICAL is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone!**AVAILABLE FOR LICENSES FOR PERFORMANCES BEGINNING JUNE 2013**
Click Here for More InformationSHURE THEATRE:Performance Network Theatre 6/12-7/20/2014
Other Desert CitiesJon Robin Baitz; dir: David Wolber.
Click Here for More InformationDISNEY'S 101 DALMATIANS KIDSSTAGECRAFTERS 7/17-7/20/2014
101 DALMATION KIDS is the familiar tale of kidnappers, puppies, and villains. In a loving home in the city of London, human owners Robert and Anita live happily with Dalmatian parents Pongo and Perdita as they raise their Dalmatian puppies. Everything is quiet until the monstrous Cruella De Vil, Anita's former classmate, plots to steal the puppies for her new fur coat! Join all the dogs of London as they daringly rescue the puppies from Cruella and her bumbling henchmen.With a delightfully fun score, lovable characters, and one of the most deliciously evil villains in the Disney canon, this stage adaptation is certain to charm and delight all audiences. The adorable spotted dogs and sinister main villain provide wonderful opportunities for creative costuming.
Click Here for More InformationPIPPINLAKE SUPERIOR THEATRE 7/9-7/20/2014
Once upon a time, a young prince longed to discover the secret of true
happiness and fulfillment. He sought it in the glories of the
battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political
power (after disposing of his father King Charlemagne the Great). In
the end, he found it in the simple pleasures of home and family. PIPPIN
is a hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale that captivated
Broadway audiences and continues to appeal to the young at heart
everywhere (the show has become a staple on high school and college
campuses). The energetic pop-influenced score by three-time
Oscar®-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (GODSPELL, CHILDREN OF EDEN, and the animated films Pocahontas, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame and The Prince Of Egypt) bursts with one showstopping number after another, from soaring ballads to infectious dance numbers. Featuring a strong ensemble cast and a show-stealing song-and-dance narrator, PIPPIN
is equally effective as an intimate, black-box production (as
envisioned by the authors) or as original director/choreographer Bob
Fosse's splashy, dance-driven spectacle, which included some of the most
brilliant staging in Broadway history.
Click Here for More Information[TITLE OF SHOW]Farmers Alley Theatre 7/18-8/3/2014
Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, the pair decides to try to create something new with the help of their friends Susan, Heidi and Larry on the eighty-eights.
With the cast in place, Jeff and Hunter begin a conversation about what to write about. Eventually, Jeff suggests they write about what to write about. They make a pact to write up until the festival?s deadline and dream about the show changing their lives.
[title of show]?taken from the space on the festival?s application form which asks for the [title of show]?follows Hunter and Jeff and their friends on their journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression. In the span of 90 minutes they write and perform their show at the festival and learn lessons about themselves as people, friends and artists.
[title of show] is, above all, a love letter to the musical theatre?a uniquely American art form?and to the joy of collaboration. The musical received a Tony AwardMusic and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen; Book by Hunter BellClick Here for More InformationTHE SOUND OF MUSICHope Summer Repertory Theatre 6/13-8/7/2014
The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world's most beloved musical. When a postulant proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern Captain, and they marry. Upon returning from their honeymoon they discover that Austria has been invaded by the Nazis, who demand the Captain's immediate service in their navy. The family's narrow escape over the mountains to Switzerland on the eve of World War II provides one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales ever presented in the theatre. The motion picture version remains the most popular movie musical of all time.Music by Rodgers, Richard; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse; Suggested by
Click Here for More InformationCAROUSELThe Encore Musical Theatre 7/10-8/10/2014
In a Maine coastal village toward the end of the 19th century, the swaggering, carefree carnival barker, Billy Bigelow, captivates and marries the naive millworker, Julie Jordan. Billy loses his job just as he learns that Julie is pregnant and, desperately intent upon providing a decent life for his family, he is coerced into being an accomplice to a robbery. Caught in the act and facing the certainty of prison, he takes his own life and is sent 'up there.' Billy is allowed to return to earth for one day fifteen years later, and he encounters the daughter he never knew. She is a lonely, friendless teenager, her father's reputation as a thief and bully having haunted her throughout her young life. How Billy instills in both the child and her mother a sense of hope and dignity is a dramatic testimony to the power of love. It's easy to understand why, of all the shows they created, CAROUSEL was Rodgers & Hammerstein's personal favorite.Music by Rodgers, Richard; Book by Oscar Hammerstein II; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Based on the Play LILIOM by Ferenc Molnar; As adapted by Benjamin F. Glazer; Original Dances by Agnes de MilleClick Here for More InformationWilliamston Theatre 7/10-8/17/2014
The Big BangBoyd Graham; book: Jed Feuer; lyrics: Boyd Graham; dir: Rob Roznowski.
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